Ducati 1098

finally a nice looking ducati? really? i always kinda thought ducati has been the maker of the sexiest machines on 2 wheels for some time now? the diana was the first gem...the original 750 ss was not too shabby either. the 916 family was world beating...and still is!!

...and last, the 888 sp5 was and remains the qunitessential superbike!

having said that, it seems there were some decent looking ducks prior to the 1098.

 

93'

 

What do you need me to agree more?!
Best Bike EVER!

 

Much better looking than the fugly 749/999 series.


For those that contain themselves, wait a year or two for them to get the bugZ out, and then simply jump in and buy.


A little Japanese in the front. Bonita nonetheless.

 

single-sided swingarm ?

The beautiful 1990 Honda RC 30.

 

ALL YOU GUYS ARE STILL WRONG!!!!


ralfabco is close.... 1988 HONDA RC30. I will post a pic of it later.
(I have an 1988 RC30 and a 916 in my garage.)

 

I do not think the RC 30 was available in the USA during 1988 ! - LOL

 

The argument is when Honda introduced the single swingarm. You quoted 1990 RC30, the RC30 debuted in Superbike racing in 1988. I will check my bike for the year/sn ?

It is a very rare bike, I don't know when it was available in the US, 1990 perhaps..

 

Very nice indeed, should look amazing in the flesh. Not as unique as the 999 but then again, it wasnt a huge success. Whats important is that alot of those Jap fanatics are actually considering this bike because of its price/performance/exclusivity ratio.

I kinda see it like a F430, a smooth evolution of an already great previous duke, but yet raises the performance bar.

 

I guess I'm right!

Honda RC30- First Street Legal Motorcycle with a Single Sided Swingarm...1989
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http://www.carbibles.com/suspension_bible_bikes.html

Rear monolever.

In 1980, BMW introduced the world to the monolever suspension system on the back end of their R80GS big dirt bike. Little did anyone know at the time that it was a sign of the radical design changes to come. Most BMW bikes, modern ones anyway, have shaft drive, so its a given on a beemer that one side of the rear suspension is going to be pretty beefy because it has to house the driveshaft and ultimately the rear drive. BMW capitalised on this and with the monolever, they created a single-sided suspension system, much like the Yamaha monoshock, but the shock / strut unit was mounted to one side of the bike, rather then in the centre. The driveshaft ran down the inside of the single-sided swingarm and into the rear drive. This design helped eliminate the need for beefier engineering at the front of the swingarm which would have been needed to resist the torsional load of having the wheel mounted to a single-sided swingarm.
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I see the R1, but im guessing they designers were thinking more along the lines of a desmosedicci looker rather then the jap bikes. Looks a helluva lot better then that hideous 999, jesus that thing was ugly.

 

We were using single sided swing arms in the early 80s on endurance racers. Made it very easy to change wheels and tires on a pit stop. I don't recall who made the aftermarket swing arms, but there were at least two manufacturers. They were intially in the World endurance series, but found their way into the WERA endurance series. I think, but don't know, that the frames were made in Japan.

Art

 

Whoo Hoo. Now I can afford a 999!! =)

 

This should have been the natural progression from the 998. I do think the headlights look a bit like a CBR 600 but overall it is a good looking bike. I still get goose bumps when I see any of the superbikes from the 851 to the 998. I appreciate the 999 for what it is but unless they are really cheap now, I won't own one. This design however is different, I'm sure once I see one in the flesh I will be smitten. Maybe I'm old but I like the older stuff more and more each day. The 93-98 Supersport is another great design especially the full faired SP.

 

I guess its easy for me to like this bike because I can very easily imagine it without head lights and with my italian tri-color paint scheme and my comp numbers on a set of Shark Skinz.

 

I was looking and thinking about Ducatis recent superbike evolution compared to that of Ferraris V8 models...

996=F355.......both iconic designs, still hott, revolutionary for their time, kinda flawed in certain aspects, huge charm

999=360....better in most aspects than what they replaced, design wise totally different approach, not an instant classic

1098=F430......both extreme gains in performance, going back to what people liked in previous models, more hardcore

 

You could buy the Tri-Colore when it is released and have it come in the box like you like it (though it would still have head lights).

 

That is a good comparison.... but let me add my own:

916=250GTO.....both "ultimate", designed and built from scratch using no reference to any existing model, world champion performers. A style that will never die.

999=Mondial (Coupe) ....A touching up of a classic, but just butt UGLY.

1098=F40.... A total reinvention of a superbike/supercar. Going back to its roots but witha modern twist.

 

The Tri-Color. Sorry, best pic that I have seen yet.

 

I was kinda excited, but its no 851 Tri-color! The colors are to bright and gel coated.......

 

For those who can read eye-talian........

http://www.motociclismo.it/edisport/moto/Notizie.nsf/AllDocID/I03C7F9FC99D343F5C12572210031C731?OpenDocument

 

Not going to make it in yellow. What a shame. However, I'll put my 996 up against any one of them in a straight line. Same thing about the handling. I suspect they're using the same suspension, and the motor has been worked on a bit. Probably a great bike. if you don't want to spend a little time on them. I've never been able to leave them alone, once I've gotten one.

Art

 

You like Gixxers? How about Chris Ulrich's Supersport bike? Or Mays Formula Extreme bike. One or the other coming to the AFM for next year, I'm probably going to have Hagan on one of them, but who knows?

BTW: I put the Olins kit into the 996, and did little stuff like taking all the seals off the bearings, so there'd be less friction. Must have at least 200 hours into the bike, but did it pay off. Ask Mike Grant about it, he just got his motor done by Marc Salvisberg at Factory, and really noticed the difference. (Marc was my mechanic when I raced the bevel drive, his last version of that lead the AMA Twins race at Riverside, before it blew up, one lap from the finish. Needless to say, I was looking for him, after I'd walked back to the pits)

Art